Gaz Gold Base Settings

[mikethebike1127]

Tried posting this in another thread and didn't get much response. I'm after some info. About to take delivery of a set of Gaz Golds & was looking for some base settings....would rather get them (sort off) set up in the vice rather than loose too much skin off my knuckles when fitted. I want it set up quite firm but want to keep my fillings!!....the roads up here in Aberdeenshire are in sh*t state at the moment!! Would someone with this sort of set-up be so kind as to let me know how much threads (in mm) are showing below the lock nut on the preload (front & back) and how many clicks out on the damping (front & back).

Thanks to Chimpafrolic for the info on the damping....still looking for thread measurements on the preload.

Many thanks in advance

Mike

[DuncanM]

Hello,

I don't have gaz golds but do have adjustable shocks.

My take on it has always been that it is a sports car and I want it to feel like/handle like one.

So here is a break down of my different settings:

2 clicks from full stiff on the front and 3 at the back = too stiff
3 front 5 rear = very nice but need good smooth roads
4 front 6 rear = best compromise for me so far and flows down b roads.

I have 400lbs springs front and 325 rear. These are soon going to be changed for 500lbs front and rear.

The main point is you have to test and play about with different settings because the cars behaviour changes a lot between the above settings, and they are only within 3 clicks of each other!

Having the shocks only 2 clicks apart works for me but may not for you? I want my car to feel racy rather than GT but maybe that's just me, which means trying different settings .

Regards

Duncan Martin

[mikethebike1127]

Thanks for that Duncan. I agree with you in the fact that everyone will set up a car differently, however, as I stated, I'm looking for a starting point, espesh on the preload. I dont see the point of fitting a shock to then screwing up the preload adjuster a sixth of a turn at a time when I could do it prior to fitting in a matter of seconds.

Thanks again.

Mike

[high52kojak]

Mike I have my gaz golds off at the moment, the car was set up by Raceproved not long ago, corner weighted the lot, I quite liked the way it felt. I'll measure the amount of thread under the springs tomorrow, that may give you a rough idea. It will also help me when it comes to fitting my new set.

[DuncanM]

Doh! Should have read properly as you're after pre-load, ride height advice!

Good luck, hopefully someone will give you a nice useful answer .

Duncan

[mikethebike1127]

high52kojak said:

Mike I have my gaz golds off at the moment, the car was set up by Raceproved not long ago, corner weighted the lot, I quite liked the way it felt. I'll measure the amount of thread under the springs tomorrow, that may give you a rough idea. It will also help me when it comes to fitting my new set.

Quality.....just the reply I was looking for my man

While you've got them in your hands, could you check how many clicks out the damping is set at please.

Many thanks indeed High

Mike

[Chimpafrolic]

Ok, first off I run a Chimaera not a Cerb (one day I will have both )

The adjusting rings on the Gaz Gold Pros are predominately to set the ride height, the preloading effect is minimal.

Counting the threads is not an effective way of ensuring the correct ride height.

Neither is measuring the gap between the wheel arch and the tyre, remember the body is bolted to a separate chassis.

TVR used shims between the body & the chassis, but this was really just done for aesthetics so the car didn't appear to look wrong to the eye.

Setting the ride height should be done on a flat surface, the measurement is taken from the ground to the corner of each outrigger.

Actually after you have set your chosen ride height in the correct way you will likely find the number of exposed threads on adjustable dampers are all slightly different.

Getting the chassis sitting flat on a flat surface is the important bit.

Remember every car is different and I have a Chim not a Cerb, but the following photos should demonstrate what I mean.

• N/S FRONT 10 THREADS EXPOSED

• O/S FRONT 8 THREADS EXPOSED

• N/S REAR 14 THREADS EXPOSED

• O/S REAR 16 THREADS EXPOSED

Based on the number of threads exposed you would think my car would be sitting on the pish.

But I assure you using the "measuring the corner of each outrigger to the floor" method, it sits perfectly flat.

If you are just looking for a starting point (on a Chim at least) I would set the fronts so 9 threads are exposed and 15 threads are exposed at the rear.

Then its simply a case of fine tuning as described above.

Hope this helps?

[VPower]

I have Gaz Golds on mine, fitted by Andy at APM.

Car handled superb and cornered like it was on rails!


BUT!

In the end it was too stiff for me and was to low.

So I wound it up a lot and reduced the damper setting to find a nice ridable compromise.

I think Andy set the front so the wishbones were parallel to the ground??

But 2 clicks on the damper setting for Le Mans in July meant that it really rode well.

Well enough to 4 wheel drift hot T1R's through Tertre Rouge and THE high-light of my Cerb ownership so far!

[Chimpafrolic]

Just to clarify the above:

The ride height on my Chim is set at 145mm front and 155mm rear measuring from the corner of the outriggers to a flat floor (A decent drive on four post ramp is perfect for this).

The relationship between the front and rear is as important as ride height itself.

The consensus of opinion is that the desirable slightly nose down stance can be achieved by setting the front 10mm lower than the rear.

However the Cerb has a longer wheel base so you will need to consult the resident Cerb expects for whats the best for your car.

If it were me I would adopt the following base settings on the dampers before bolting them on.

FRONTS RIDE HEIGHT: 9 threads exposed

FRONTS DAMPER SETTING: 13 clicks from base (fully soft)


REARS RIDE HEIGHT: 15 threads exposed

REARS DAMPER SETTING: 14 clicks from base (fully soft)


Its worth pointing out that the new Gaz Gold Pros have a very wide range of adjustment (28 clicks in total) and just two clicks can make a noticeable difference.

But most important of all is that you need to understand changes in the ride height will have an effect on other elements of the geometry.

Once your dampers are fitted with the above base settings it essential that you get the suspension geometry fully checked and adjusted by someone that knows what they are doing.

There are lots of garages out there that don't fully understand what they are doing, its all too easy to adjust one element of the suspension geometry only to find another element has gone out of adjustment.

You then end up eternally chasing the settings around the car, there is no telling at what point the the technician will become totally frustrated and say "damn it that will do".

You definitely need someone who really understands how to correctly set up TVR suspension geometry.

Obviously knowing the correct settings is important but its even more important that the technician understands the order in which each element is adjusted or they will never get it right.

Finally you just cant set up the geometry without the right equipment, if someone offers to do it using a length of string walk away.

I had my car setup by "Wheels in Motion" in Chesham, they use the latest Hunter Hawkeye laser wheel aligning machine, when they demonstrated it to me I was amazed.

It simply wont let you get it wrong and it produces a detail printout to prove to the customer the settings are correct.

You can literally watch every element changing dynamically on the screen as the adjustments are made.

I used to use a 1950's Dunlop wheel alignment set when I was on the spanners, the difference between this lovely old wooden boxed equipment and the Hunter Hawkeye system is a bit like comparing an abacus with a laptop.

[tejr]

On a related topic, is it normal to only have one C-spanner? Most coilovers I've played with have two? Are the Gaz Golds' height adjusted in a different way to normal? Or am I missing a spanner?!

[DuncanM]

Chimpafrolic said:

....Finally you just cant set up the geometry without the right equipment, if someone offers to do it using a length of string walk away....

Boo hiss! Rest of your post was very good but string is still used by many racing teams!

I'm sure laser equipment is very good, and wheels in motion have a great reputation. However, isn't laser equipment only as good as its last calibration?

String doesn't lie and my car was checked and set up last time by Julian Lane (Joospeed/trackcar). With string .

Duncan

[Chimpafrolic]

DuncanM said:

Boo hiss! Rest of your post was very good but string is still used by many racing teams!

I'm sure laser equipment is very good, and wheels in motion have a great reputation. However, isn't laser equipment only as good as its last calibration?

String doesn't lie and my car was checked and set up last time by Julian Lane (Joospeed/trackcar). With string .

Duncan

Well Duncan the truth is I have used string countless times too

Hold a length of string as taught as you can, run a laser down it and then tell me string doesn't lie.

Immediately you will see the string is bowed no matter how tight you pull it.

I guess the nice thing about string is that you do find that people using it have at least understood the first principles of steering & suspension geometry.

However faced with two experienced technicians both with equal skill & knowledge, one armed with string and one with the latest laser kit I know which one I would choose.

There is no doubt that the ancient Egyptians were experts in applying complex geometry with nothing more than string and a plumb, and big respect to them for that.

But lets be honest here, things have moved on.

[DuncanM]

Good answer Dave, although I wasn't arguing that string was better than laser, rather that I wouldn't discount getting my car set up by someone using string.

I still stand by that .

Regards

Duncan

[Chimpafrolic]

DuncanM said:

Good answer Dave, although I wasn't arguing that string was better than laser, rather that I wouldn't discount getting my car set up by someone using string.

I still stand by that .

Regards

Duncan

I whole heartedly agree Duncan.

As a trainee mechanic years ago, I wasn't even allowed to use the wheel alignment kit until I could prove I could set up the boss's 7 correctly using the string method.

It certainly helped one spotty youth properly understand the basic fundamentals, so I can see why they did it.

Given the choice between a Kwick-fit monkey with the very best laser rig, and a experienced race mechanic with a ball of string, it would be string every time for me.

So it looks like we will just have to agree to agree , which is nice

I guess my point was that having used both string & my old Dunlop wheel alignment set, when I watched the Hunter Hawkeye in operation at Wheels in Motion it was a revelation for me.

In hindsight perhaps I shouldn't have been so hard on the string method?

Have a nice evening, Dave.

[DuncanM]

Chimpafrolic said:

So it looks like we will just have to agree to agree , which is nice

Absolutely, why can't Pistonheads always be this civil? .

I have just finished doing a lot of work on my Cerbera with a good friend and all of the front suspension came off for painting renewing etc.

The camber/caster will probably be out now along with the toe, but to get the car drivable my friend set up the toe in with string and some axle stands.

The car drives straight with no pulling at all, I'm impressed with how good it is considering and am interested to see how close it is to right when I get it checked.

Regards

Duncan

P.S

I have been recommended to use STS in Bedford (close to me) as they use the Hunter equipment which is supposed to be excellent. I'll let you know how I get on.

[mikethebike1127]

OK....now that I've got my thread back ....

high52kojak.....have you any news for me???

Cheers

Mike

[high52kojak]

Hi, sorry for the delay.

Fronts both have 35mm of thread showing from the bottom of the locking rings down.

Pas side rear has 46mm of thread showing

drivers side has 51mm showing

Rears are set to 18 clicks from fully soft. 40 clicks was the full range?

I've not had time to check the front clicks, tomorrows job.

[mikethebike1127]

high52kojak said:

Hi, sorry for the delay.

Fronts both have 35mm of thread showing from the bottom of the locking rings down.

Pas side rear has 46mm of thread showing

drivers side has 51mm showing

Rears are set to 18 clicks from fully soft. 40 clicks was the full range?

I've not had time to check the front clicks, tomorrows job.

You are a star....thank you very much indeed

[JensenA]

Mike, ideally what you should be aiming for is to get the lower wishbones as close to parallel (to the ground) as you can, you can use a spirit level for this. It's not too difficult to adjust the shocks once they are on the car.